Miles Starforth

Newcastle United could kick off their pre-season campaign without a new signing.

The Magpies are yet to make a transfer window breakthrough, though they tabled a £10million bid for Marseille winger Florian Thauvin last week.

Newcastle’s offer remains on the table, but the French club, having sold Dimitri Payet to West Ham, are seemingly in no hurry to do business.

The Tynesiders have not yet bid for for honeymooning QPR striker Charlie Austin. and Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs has warned Newcastle that it would take a sizeable offer to persuade the Bundesliga club to part with frontman Bas Dost.

New head coach Steve McClaren – whose players reported back for the start of pre-season training yesterday – is keen to see one or more new faces arrive ahead of a three-game tour of the USA later this month.

But McClaren, whose first friendly is at Gateshead next Friday (July 10) could have to wait a little longer for a breakthrough in the transfer window, which formally opened yesterday.

Among the players reporting back to the club’s Benton training ground yesterday was Sylvain Marveaux.

Midfielder Marveaux – who has another year left on his contract – was frozen out by former manager Alan Pardew and loaned to Guingamp last season.

Meanwhile, out-of-contract Sammy Ameobi is expected to sign the deal he was offered in May.

However, the forward is likely to be farmed out for a the season, with Cardiff City and Wolverhampton Wanderers the frontrunners to take him on loan.

In other news, teenagers Liam Smith, Jamie Sterry, Macaulay Gillesphey and Tom Heardman have signed the professional deals they were offered in March.